South of Parma, in the direction of Langhirano, is a tiny ski area in a town called Schia. I’ve been told that in its heyday when this part of Italy used to get consistent snowfall from November to March, Schia was quite a popular destination for novice skiers from the Parma area. In recent years the area sees very little snowfall, yet the area still attracts hundreds of weekend skiers when the conditions are right.
The slopes are gentle and they are few, making it a great place for beginners to break in their skis. But having skied since childhood and preferring the slopes further north, I was more interested in checking out the area for its hiking trails and spectacular views. So on a crisp October morning, I headed out with my son and some friends for a beautiful 2-hour hike that did not disappoint.
We arrived at the Schia parking area just before noon where we found a great playground with a zipline, mini ropes course and a basketball court. Adorable A-frame holiday cottages dot the hillside along the small ski slope with a t-bar lift. Around the parking lot is a ski shop with gear and rentals, and 2 bars. None of these services were open for business, but the owners were all there getting ready for the season.
My son, 8 years old, was thrilled to occupy himself on the zip line while we waited for our friends. Even I enjoyed riding on it a few times and feeling the cold fresh air on my face – a nice change from the poor air quality found down in Parma.
When our friends arrived with their giant puppy, Blueberry, we immediately set off up the mountain. With Blueberry setting the pace, we hiked up at a rapid clip along a sun dappled path through the tall pine trees. Eventually, breaking out onto the ski slope, now an open grassy clearing between dense trees, we enjoyed the warm sunshine until the trail took us back into the woods.
At the top of the gentle mountain we found a few picnic tables and stopped for a snack. The boys found a rope swing that had been hung from a tree nearby – they were very amused that someone had written in both Italian and English “for children only”.
The highlight of this summit however was the path extending out about another 300 meters along the ridge, to the Italian flag planted on the edge of a steep drop. The point provided sweeping views of the distant mountain tops and puffy clouds. Along the ridge path we saw mushrooms, wolf droppings, enormous bumble bees getting their fill of nectar from thistles and hundreds of grasshoppers. These poor grasshoppers weren’t fast enough to escape the curious boys chasing after them.
In the other direction, we could see some ominous dark gray clouds moving in with the rain we had been promised in the weather report. We continued on the loop trail, stopping at the top of the ski lift and struggling to keep the kids from climbing on the chairs. Finally, we continued down until we reached the parking and watched as the boys played a quick round of basketball.
Just before the drizzle started, we were in our cars and on our way back to Parma, about an hour’s drive. It was a lovely day and well worth the trip. We saw only a handful of other hikers, unlike at Lago Santo, which can be absolutely packed on an autumn day. We will definitely be back!
Comments